TOP 10 Must-Do Activities

1. Get yourself on a list at one of the clubs in Larcomar, and be sure to go when there is a great deal of people. Youll be able to dance and enjoy yourselves with great music and a bunch of Peruvians.

2. Grab a grilled sandwich from Sanguchon. They are cheap and guilty, and there is a location right down the road on Primavera. Be sure to try an Enchilada too.

3. Head to the beach for a surf. If you do it right, youll have 2 hours (more than enough time) and both a board and wetsuit for about $10.

4. Get to the Centro de Lima. The architecture and plaza are incredible, and there are also many places to shop and see.

5. Get a tour of Barranco, by a company or a friend, and walk there at night too. The buildings are cool, and the walk down to the beach is very cool.

6. Go to Miraflores during the day to get some shopping and sightseeing done, then stay for the night and walk through the crowded alleys and find a place to have some drinks and dance a little.

7. Try a chifa! I recommend a nicer looking one, as they have a reputation for being a bit iffy, but go to a nice one and share dishes. Itll be surprisingly cheap and delicious!

8. Head to the different shopping areas in Lima, like Polvos Azules, Gamarra, and other places. They have everything you could ever want, and you can buy all the great cheap knockoffs there!

9. Try ceviche! Especially if you like fish...if not, try it if you think you can. Its a very Peruvian dish, and there is no better place to try it than by the ocean.

10. Plan a trip to the Jungle! Maniti Camp expeditions in Iquitos was about the cheapest we found for a large group, and we all had a blast! Ask for Rick, he speaks perfect English.

11. Organize a trip to Arequipa. Give yourselves plenty of time, and bring a pillow to take in the bus. Be sure to pack warm, it gets chilly at night!

1. Ask UPC to have the chance to go into a high school in Lima. Our group went to one that was a private Catholic school and worked with kids on their English and just talked with them. Best experience by far!

2. Parque de los Aguas amazing park with fountains and shows. 3. Parque del las Leyendas zoo which is cheap but still has lots of variety! 4. Amazon Iquitos best experience of my life. We stayed at a hotel in the amazon jungle, went

piranha fishing on the Amazon River, saw amazing wildlife and ate crazy good jungle food, went to a nearby Amazon village and learned their ways of life, met with a tribe, go to hold a sloth and a monkey, and walked through the Amazon and so many more awesome adventures! It was extremely hot and bring bug spray with you, but the experience was well worth it.

5. Go to the Centro de Lima and go on the San Cristobal tour. It is super cheap. Only 5 soles, and you go up to the hill and see the view of Lima and go to a cross on top of the hill. Such an amazing experience!

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6. Burrito Bar in Barranco. It is a hole in the wall place to eat but once you find it you will fall in love with their food. Best burritos, chips and salsa, quesadillas, margaritas, anything you could want!

7. Tuesday nights Cinemax aka movie theater in Jockey Plaza. It is the cheapest night. 8. Tour of the Centro de Lima 9. Go to the beaches in Asia. So beautiful and nice and sandy. 10. Sand boogying in Paracas. Cheap and fun to do!

1. Amazon! Everything was planned through UPC so ask the international office to set up the

same trip that they set up for us.

2. San Cristobal at Centro Centro is the oldest district of the city. Ask a cab to take you to the

Plaza de Armas. That is where the National Cathedral and the National Palace is. There should

be a bus with a lady yelling San Cristobal circling the plaza. It should cost 5 soles for your tour

there. They take you up to this big cross/altar, which is on top of a hill that overlooks the entire

city. Super beautiful and you can buy candles to light at the altar, which are supposed to bless

your life!

3. Burrito Bar Probably the only authentic Mexican food in the entire city.

4. Cajamarca Festival This is in February in the town of Cajamarca. You can fly there for fairly

cheap, $100-$150 round trip. On Saturday they have a big water/paint fight in the main square

and theres also a bunch of traditional Peruvian dances and music. Awesome weekend trip!

5. Jockey Plaza a huge super nice mall that is only 5 minutes away by cab. It is a cool place to kill

some time or to go shopping, although a lot of the clothes are very expensive. They have good

places to eat there: Hard Rock Caf, Pinkberry, and Chilis for when you miss American food.

6. Larcomar Another awesome mall. It is built into the Cliffside that faces the ocean in Miraflores.

Good stores, food, and they have a theater and bowling there too!

7. The beaches at Asia the beaches in Miraflores are made of rocks not sand, so if you want a

nice sand beach the closest is Asia. Ask a cab to take you to the Boulevard at Asia. It will cost you

anywhere from 100-150 soles. The Boulevard itself is very cool. Its a nice mall and there are

clubs there too. Ask someone where the closest beach is and they should point you down a road

just outside of the Boulevard area. It is about ten minutes away if you are walking and then you

are there!

8. Huacachina During the planned trip to Paracas, have the resort call you a taxi and take you to

this oasis called Huacachina. The town itself is really beautiful. There will be a bunch of random

guys tell you to sand board there. It is way cheaper here than at the resort, but I did both and

loved it each time. Try to find a guy named Marco, afterwards they offered to take us on a

vineyard tour, and it was worth it as well!

9. The hidden pizza place Also during the trip to Paracas, go to the close by city of Ica. Go to the

plaza and at one of the corners of the plaza is this pizza and ice cream place with no sign or

name or anything. It is a hole in the wall but it is delicious and super cheap. One of my favorite

memories was getting pizza and ice cream there and eating it in the main square.

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10. Paragliding In Miraflores, this company called Kunturfly offers a paragliding experience for

about $60. The business is close to Larcomar. Here is the website, http://www.kunturfly.com/, if

you get the chance to do it take it!

1. Be involved with your family. Ask them how they are doing, what they are doing, what their

interests are etc. Make friends with them because they are amazing people.

2. Dont procrastinate on homework The quicker you get things done, the more time you will

have to fly by the seat of your pants like a Peruvian. Opportunities can come about at any

moment. Be ready.

3. Make the personal space you are given your home. Make your space comfortable so you have a

place to rest and calm your mind when things get hectic.

4. Talk to your conversation partners! If you make good friends with them, they will include you in

activities where you will be able to meet more friends and practice more Spanish!

5. Check out the stores near Vivanda The place is called Eden. There are a bunch of things you

can find there. Downstairs are a bunch of smoothie/juice places, and upstairs are a bunch of

clothing places with an artsy store, a store that sells pirated dvds (like every other store in

Peru), and a couple salons.

6. Dont buy too many things early on. You will have MANY opportunities to buy things the entire

time, and chances are, you will be able to go back to places if you really wanted something. And

ALWAYS look for cheaper prices. Even if you barter someone down sometimes, you can still

find cheaper!!

7. Instead of buying water, cook it! Boil the water out of the tap, and it is tons cheaper, and you

can keep it in the refrigerator so youve always got some cold water.

8. If you have hobbies that you think you wont have time for you will probably have time for

them. It is nice to give yourself a little down time doing something that relaxes you. I like to sew

and crochet and stuff like that and just ended up buying stuff here to do it. I wish I would have

brought the stuff so I didnt have to buy it.

9. Go on vacations with people. Go to every place you can.

10. Try new foods. I enjoy telling people I have eaten guinea pig brain, alligator, and alpaca... no

matter how strange it is!

1. Teach someone an American card game in Spanish. It doesnt have to be cards, I suppose. It

could be any sort of game we play in the States. But honestly, this was my favorite part of being

in Peru. It really tests your language skills to the hilt to teach somebody a card game in a foreign

language and it is a great way to break the ice.

2. Visit Barrio Chino. It is just so busy and crowded and REAL. So much of Lima is modern, written

in English, and just feels fake. Barrio Chino is real.

3. Go to the Magic Water Circuit show in Centro Lima. It is really something, and Peruvian natives,

especially Limenos, will love to show it to you.

http://www.kunturfly.com/

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4. San Francisco Church Catacombs in Centro de Lima. Enough said.

5. Ride a combi. Sure, they are crowded and noisy and scary looking, but they are PERUVIAN.

They put pictures of combis on their postcards. And honestly, they are a good way to get from

one place to another cheaply.

6. Go to Punta Hermosa. If youre going to do the beach, and we all know you probably will, go

there. The water is blue, the sand is white, and the waves are hopping.

7. Go to a market, a fresh food market. They are an extremely unique experience. I suggest the

Belen Market in Iquitos, but if you dont go to Iquitos, thats no reason to skip out on the

experience.

8. The Miraflores Markets. If you are looking for souvenirs, you cant neglect the artisan markets

here.

9. Go to church. Even if it is just for Semana Santa, part of being in Peru is experiencing the

Catholic Church at its South American finest.

10. Get out of town. Dont stay in Lima. Peru is so big and beautiful, get out and get to know some

more of it. Ask your Peruvian friends where they would recommend, traveling with them is so

much more fun than just with Americans, trust me.

1. El Circuito de las Aguas in Centro de Lima-- a cool water fountain park with engineered fountains

and holograms in a night light show.

2. Miraflores-- el parque de los gatos, there is a little area in the middle of the cat park where

people sell souvenir types of items...its fun to just look around!

3. Go to a discoteca! Going out dancing is so much fun because they dance all night long at the

discotecas, and you learn all sorts of fun Latin dances as well as the pop culture of Lima...music,

people, dancing!

4. Go to the jungle in Iquitos for a weekend and experience the culture of jungle people...when

Peruvians refer to people who live near the jungle they are simply referring to how Americans

would say southerners, for example.

5. Arequipa, Peru is absolutely beautiful! Take a trip to the Colca Valley and stay in Chivay at a

hotel...its cold so I know you will appreciate a little bit of cool weather!

6. Try Chifa! Chifa is the Peruvian version of Chinese food and its very good. Definitely not Chinese

food, but also...not Peruvian.

7. Be prepared to eat a lot...A LOT...of rice. Your first few meals you will think youre not being fed

very much but I can almost guarantee you wont finish your entire plate...but remember that it

is customary/polite to finish your plate completely.

8. Some families only have breakfast and almuerzo (lunch around 2pm) and other have breakfast,

almuerzo, and lonche (an evening snack, toast or ice cream)

9. Go to the Inca Market in Miraflores and also to Polvos Azules if you want to buy souvenirs!

There are so many shops to choose from, you should probably go on a day where you dont

have class! Cusco is another good place to buy souvenirs!

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10. Take the Metropolitano bus system (you will need a bus card) and ride to Centro (with

Peruvians, because its complicated!) and go to La Iglesia de San Francisco. Take a tour at the

church, in English or Spanish.

1. Try the famous national soda, Inca Kola

2. Try tea made from coca leaves

3. Go visit the jungle

4. Barter at the markets

5. Take the combis (not always a fun experience, but interesting)

6. Try Chifa-eventually you grow fond of it

7. Go out of lima to see the other side of Peru, the rural poor areas

8. Take advantage of the cheap clothes

9. Obviously Machu Picchu and other Inca ruins

10. Swim in the Amazon

1. Arequipa--Colca Canyon is so beautiful you have to see it.

2. Amazon--One of those experiences that you will never forget.

3. Markets--There are markets in almost all the cities you will visit. They have really cool stuff that

you can buy, and its cheap.

4. Jockey Plaza--If youre bored, you should go to Jockey Plaza because there is a movie theater,

restaurants, shopping, etc. If only costs 5 or 6 soles to get there from UPC so its cheap to take a

taxi there.

5. The South. All of the beaches with sand are in the south. The beaches close to

Miraflores/Barranco are good for surfing but they are rock beaches so they hurt to sit or lay on.

6. Larcomar. Larcomar is in Miraflores and its a really nice area of Lima. There are some nice

discos there that you can go to if you are on the list.

7. Sanguchon! They have really good sandwiches there if you want to go somewhere to eat.

8. If you want to surf, go to Miraflores and there are surf schools that are pretty cheap where you

can rent boards and gear and they will give you lessons.

9. There is a little grocery store by the dolphin circle that you can walk to and they have drinks,

snacks, or anything like that. Its super close to UPC so you can walk there in like 3 minutes

depending on where you live.

10. Polvos Azules. It is a market where they have sooo much stuff. Its like 20 or 25 minutes away

from Surco. The Peruvians always say to go there with a Peruvian and dont be there after like 6